This is excellent news! Where can we make a donation to move and install this historic item? I look forward to coming down and seeing it in action in the hopefully near future!
As a long time follower of the Grande, I'm glad that the turntable found a worthy home. We are all sad to see Burnham closed down, but some of it at least can live on in your fine establishment. I may have to plan a trip out there to visit your museum from my home in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
So what does it include? i.e.
bearings,
gears,
rollers,
ring gear,
center pier
pivot point bearing,
pit support walls,
rail alignment bars for each track,
controls & switch gear,
operators' shanty,
and one big honkin' motor?
Who says there is no such thing as a free ($10,000+) lunch?
Broadly - Yes. Except that, as rebuilt it had no shanty. The pit and therefore the walls are cast in the ground so clearly cannot be moved.
Actually it does not have a single motor but there are nice new motors in the trucks at each end.
Nigel, can I take you used car shopping for me? It may not bee a free lunch but it is a cheep appetizer. As always I stand ready to help you as I can, be it Civil Engineer or Cheerleader. Keep those pennys and farthings coming.
I was doodling around with some numbers just based on some of the rough numbers in the descriptions and looking at the photos. I guess we will meed about 675 cubic yards of reinforced concrete for the pit & pier. That's about 57 (12 cu.yd.) redi mix truckloads of concrete. What does 6 bag redi-mix go for in Union?
I won't even start to figure how many tons of epoxy coated steel re-bar we will need. But it will be many many Pounds Sterling.
Hi, I worked at the Burnham Loco facility, now a former railroader.. The turntable originally used electric motors, after being rebuilt in '12, management decided to go with a hydraulic system to operate the system.. The pump was a bit small for the job and turning a heavy loco, like a 70 Ace, was really slow.. Just a note, if you receive all the parts, including the hydraulic system you might want to step up the hyd. pump. I hope this turntable will serve you with great use, I'm happy to hear someone is trying to use it instead of scrap it. Have a nice day- Chris
This is exciting news! In addition to money, what can people do to help? Does the UP have the original engineering documents for the foundation and associated structure and equipment needed to support and operate the turntable? That would be a good head start even if soil conditions at Union are different than in Denver.
Much of this is to be determined. Many drawings are available but any new pit will not be directly like the existing one.
At Burnham this table replaced a smaller deep pit one in 1941 so the existing pit was built in at least two stages having a deep central well, for the original table, with a raised plinth to carry the bearing of this table. Any new pit will be shallow and designed around this table.
It has been so long since a turntable project has been mentioned that I thought the idea had been abandoned by the museum's planners. wonderful! And when a Round House is built it will be the equivalent of a new car Barn as the steam space can be used for other cars.
Ted Miles, IRM Member
Ted,
The turntable will be a big project but we believe it will be a great addition to the museum.
The Electroliner is moving along rapidly. It is actually in a lot of places at present!.
The trucks are with one contractor being refurbished. The wheels have been separated and are being turned / replaced as necessary at another site.
The motors were removed from the trucks and are at a specialist shop being rebuilt.
Meanwhile at Union, work is getting under way on the air conditioning.
Nigel
On Green street in Bensenville, there is still a round table just sitting all by it self in the CP Railroad parking area, near the Bensenville Police Station. Maybe you could get this cheap as this is no longer being used. It is west of the Franklin Park yards of Bensenville.